A Badly Broken Code
by soulful-sin
Summary: Someone has been targeting Dimmsdale's fairies and attacking them. Timmy, Chloe, and Tootie must set aside their differences and work together with their fairies to put an end to it. (Note that this is canon with Fireball Faerie, so Tootie's godfather appears in here too. It's set after that series).
1. Hexe

A/N: Takes place after "Fireball Faerie," but in the same universe…sort of. I think I might've aged Tootie in FF, so, uh, just pretend Chloe was there after all? Stupid canon is screwing up my fics.

Also, _season five never happened_. The marriage joke episodes, aside from the one with Doombringer, do not exist in this universe. Because seriously, screw the marriage jokes. They weren't funny, and I love Wanda too much to see her hurt.

"Straight On 'til Morning" has one more snippet before I finish it, so naturally I'm dragging my feet on it.

Chapter One: Hexe

Snow crunched underfoot as Timmy hauled water back to his camper. His parents had decided to "rough it" in Canada during his winter break and because they were being obstinate about doing "whatever the Carmichaels were doing," Timmy had to drag water from the river back to the camper. He'd forgotten, once again, that he could've just wished the water to the camper. However, he had wanted some alone time away from his parents, who were driving him up the wall.

Cosmo and Wanda had switched campsites and were with Chloe for the moment; the Carmichaels and the Turners hadn't camped as closely as they had that one spring break (they'd learned a lesson in that, at least), but they still disliked each other. Timmy's and Chloe's friendship remained an enigma to them, especially as it had lasted three years so far.

The bucket was heavy and water sluiced over the sides while Timmy considered it. He'd gotten better at balancing his friends; Chester and A.J. had confronted him about ignoring them a few months after Chloe had moved to town. So he tried to spend time with his guy friends and Chloe, which was made difficult by the fact Chester disliked her and Sanjay and Elmer claimed she cramped their style. Only AJ had any interest in her, and that was because they were both intelligent, which led to them having discussions that went over Timmy's head.

That wasn't what had given him pause today, though. Lately, it felt like his feelings for Chloe were getting complicated and he didn't want to bring this up with his godparents in case there was some weird taboo about it. Besides, he wasn't sure what he felt. Was it still friendly, because they'd been friends for years and spent a lot of time together? Was it like he felt for Trixie? Or had felt for Trixie, because he wasn't sure he liked her anymore? It wasn't how he felt for Tootie, which was now likewise complicated because she'd outgrown her braces and was wearing her hair down. Plus, she'd stopped hounding him and argh, girls. Everything had been so much easier before he'd had feelings.

Chloe's campsite was a good mile away from his parents'; that was the limit of their cordiality. As his parents had sent him out so they could have alone time, he wished he had someone to talk to. He had never realized how isolated he was until he had no one around. Poof was still at school, Cosmo and Wanda were with Chloe, and he didn't get service out here.

That was why when a blonde blur slammed into him and bowled him over; he wound up with the bucket upended on his head and water soaking him. Careless hands knocked the bucket off, and Chloe stood there, yanking him to his feet and then dragging him forward. Cosmo and Wanda were disguised as rabbits, which he had a split second to see before Chloe was hauling him over rough ground and through the forest.

"What the hell?" he said. "Where are you taking me?"

"Just _look_ ," she insisted. Timmy wasn't sure what she wanted him to look at. There was a rusty sparkling trail she appeared to be leading them on, which baffled him. He tried to dig in his heels and prompt her to slow down, but if anything, his obstinacy increased her own. He should know better by now than to attempt to stand in Chloe's way. It was like standing in the way of a natural disaster.

"You know, maybe we'd be better off at the campsite eating smores," Wanda suggested, voice terse. Timmy chanced a look at her and tripped over a tree root for his trouble. Chloe didn't permit him time to regain his footing. She just continued dragging him along. The bucket, by this period, was long forgotten.

"What are we supposed to be looking at?" he demanded.

"I've been following this trail for the last ten minutes, and then I had to find you because I'm telling you it goes somewhere really weird," she said.

"Like to a _bathroom?_ " he suggested. His bladder had chimed in, and he fought the temptation to cross his legs. Chances were she would've let him trail along the ground anyway if he had.

"It can wait!"

"Says you," he grumped.

She parted the bushes, and they halted before a crater in the earth. Something about it struck him as unnatural, but at least Chloe had stopped. He took advantage of the opportunity to duck into the trees and relieve himself. Chloe squeezed hand sanitizer onto his palms, and because he knew otherwise, she'd complain, he rubbed it on his palms.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?" he asked.

"Oh…" Cosmo and Wanda echoed in unison, and he looked at his godparents, to Chloe, and then to the crater. The small trail of sparkling rust had soaked the ground here, and a savaged body lay in the crater's center. All that was distinguishable was a tarnished crown. Timmy's stomach roiled, and he thought he might be sick.

"I didn't know it would lead here!" Chloe protested. "That can't be…"

"It is…" Wanda croaked, sounding as ill as Timmy felt.

They looked up at arguing voices. Timmy recognized one of them immediately, and the color drained from his face. Oh, no, not _her_. The second, a male voice, didn't strike him as familiar. They emerged from the other side of bushes directly opposite Timmy and Chloe, and Timmy nearly lost his footing. Chloe snagged him in the nick of time.

"I told you this wasn't a good idea," a male fairy snapped. He had dark purple hair, hanging to his waist and braided. His wings, resembling an anti- fairy's more than a typical fairy, were black and draconic. Tootie faltered too, and he grabbed her to prevent her from plunging headlong into the crater.

"Oh, no, not _you_ ," Tootie snapped, glaring at Chloe.

"What brings you here?" Chloe called back, ignoring Tootie's homicidal gaze.

"That." Tootie pointed to the blood coating the ground in front of her and then down into the crater.

"How much _was_ there?" Timmy asked in a subdued voice.

"Depends on how much he struggled," the unfamiliar fairy said, somber. "Or she. Tootie, I told you this wasn't a good idea. We shouldn't go inviting trouble."

"If this is a fairy's blood, then a fairy died here," Tootie retorted. "We need to find out what happened."

"A fairy died here?" Timmy asked, looking at his godparents. Both swallowed as if fighting their gorge.

"Technically, sport…" Wanda started but seemed unable or unwilling to finish. She swayed and leaned against Cosmo, who likewise leaned against her.

Chloe released Timmy and slid into the crater. In unison, all three fairies yelped, darting after her. Not to be outdone, Tootie launched herself into the hole and yanked something out of the soil. It was a broken wand. The three fairies exchanged uncomfortable glances.

Timmy hesitated, uncertain he wanted to join the group, but decided he might as well. Chloe caught him before he plunged headlong into the soil. To be honest, he wasn't even sure what he was looking at. His mind refused to put the pieces together to form a body.

"Could we not have this conversation right next to…to…" Wanda faltered.

"I wish we were somewhere else!" Timmy exclaimed, not bothering to clarify. They reappeared at Chloe's campsite. Her mom was puttering around inside the tent and paying them no mind.

"Deborvak," Tootie said, turning to her fairy. "What's going on?"

Deborvak shook his head. He looked at Cosmo and Wanda, who had gone green.

"Someone's murdering fairies?" Timmy asked. His voice was a shadow of itself. "Doombringer?"

That was the only person he could think of, and he hadn't encountered her in three years. Chloe gave him a curious look, but he didn't clarify. Tootie's brow furrowed.

"We don't know," Wanda murmured.

"And we don't wanna find out," Cosmo added.

"Why would a fairy be hurt here, of all places?" Tootie asked. "And did whoever harm him or her know we're here?"

"You don't know…" Chloe protested weakly. "You don't know that that's what happened."

"Oh, stop being so damn optimistic," Tootie snarled. "Honestly, you piss me off."

She turned to Timmy and pointedly ignored Chloe. "Timmy, my parents are camped a little way down the road, if you wanna talk about it. Miss Perfect's not invited."

Signaling to Deborvak, Tootie left them with more questions than answers. Timmy watched her recede into the distance. Chloe frowned, shivering. Timmy had an urge to put an arm around her shoulders but resisted. Part of him felt like he ought to pursue Tootie and the other thought he should stay here with his godsibling.

"I wish I knew what was going on," Chloe said, and Cosmo and Wanda shook their heads.

"I don't think that's a good idea…" Wanda said.

Timmy expected Cosmo to chime in that it was a great idea or otherwise encourage her. He remained silent, and Timmy's stomach flipped. If even Cosmo wasn't advocating for this, it was serious. He hadn't seen his godparents this grave in a long time.

Chloe's lower lip quivered. He could practically hear her mental voice screaming and her representation of herself running around in circles.

"Get it together," he said, shaking her.

"Sorry…" she whispered. She shook her head and tried to settle herself. "Okay, well, then, what would you suggest?"

"That we forget this whole thing ever happened and go have some smores?" Cosmo said.

"I'm not hungry," Timmy said. He wasn't sure he'd ever be hungry again. He hugged himself.

"How about just the 'forget all about it,' then?" Wanda added.

Chloe shook her head. "No. If this is an injustice, then we need to get to the bottom of this!"

"Oh, no, here we go again," Timmy groaned. "Can't you just leave things alone, Chrissy Crusader?"

"Could _you_?" she asked. Timmy opened his mouth to reply that yes, he could just fine, but then shut it. He couldn't in good conscience say that. He didn't speak.

"Maybe Tootie knows something," Chloe decided.

"Didn't you hear her? She doesn't want you anywhere near her," he said, exasperated.

"I'll just have to change her mind, then," Chloe said.

"And the last three years you tried that and she wanted to throw you into oncoming traffic didn't convince that was a bad idea?" Timmy objected.

"Everyone can be won over, Timmy," she said. "It's just a matter of time."

* * *

"I hate her," Tootie seethed. "I hate how close she is to Timmy. I hate how she's his _best friend_. I hate her stupid face, and I hate her stupid sunflower dress and her black pants and how chipper and happy she is.

"And I hate how smart she is and how she always gets perfect grades and how everyone _adores_ her and how she thinks she can get everyone to love her," she spat.

Deborvak said nothing; he'd heard it before. She didn't care. She was just venting. Every time she saw Chloe Carmichael, her blood pressure went through the roof. She just wanted to punch the girl in the face repeatedly. And Chloe hadn't gotten it through her skull that Tootie would sooner kiss up to Vicky than have anything to do with her.

"And I hate how she influences Timmy. He should've kicked her to the curb and refused to share his fairies with her."

Something exploded behind them, and Tootie ignored it. Her powers were out of control—they always flared when she lost her temper. She knew she ought to tamp down on it, but she was enraged. Chloe always brought out the worst in her. She didn't know how it was possible for one girl to be so infuriating.

To be fair, Tootie had loathed Trixie Tang the moment she'd met her. But Trixie was shallow, and they never interacted. Their circles were entirely different. Timmy only encountered Trixie when he forced the issue. Chloe, by contrast, was always in Tootie's face. She was impossible to shake off because she seemed to be attached to Timmy at the hip.

"I think you forget the real reason you followed that trail," Deborvak remarked, and Tootie snarled. It had fled her mind, he was right.

"And what was that?" she countered.

"Tootie…" he sighed. "Do you really not remember?"

Shame flooded her. She'd let her hatred for Chloe override her judgment again. Thinking back to the crater and the broken wand, which she'd accidentally palmed, unnerved her. The star atop was missing, and the wand had cracked.

"We need to get to the bottom of this," she vowed.

"You might want to reconsider your position on Chloe."

At the dirty look she threw him, he added, "You're concerned for Timmy and Cosmo and Wanda, right?"

"Yes…" she admitted begrudgingly.

"Then you're going to have to face Chloe. You know she and Timmy are a package deal now."

Tootie muttered unkind things about Chloe, things that would've been more in line with what Vicky wanted to do than Tootie's typical personality. Some of Vicky's darkness had seeped into her. It was resentment over mistreatment, being passed over by her parents, and now contending with the blonde bitch. She was worse than Cindy Vortex. At least Tootie understood Cindy. She even related to her, Cindy's attraction to Timmy notwithstanding. And not having seen her in three years had improved her impression of her.

"I'll sleep on it," Tootie proclaimed.

"You think you'll sleep well after seeing that?" he asked.

He had a point. She grimaced. Sleep would probably be a distant dream tonight. That meant she'd be spending the night thinking of how she was going to work with Chloe without mauling her. Fun times.


	2. Fire in the Distant Hills

A/N: Sorry the chapter's so short. The chapters for this have been short for some odd reason. Maybe I shouldn't write when I have a headache. Heh.

Chapter Two: A Fire in the Distant Hills

Through begging and pleading, the Turners and the Carmichaels shared breakfast together. Unfortunately, they had to sit far enough so that the other couldn't smell their food. The Carmichaels took umbrage at the Turners eating meat and the Turners took offense at the Carmichaels devouring something that seemed inedible. Timmy and Chloe, who were used to it, met in the middle. They were surprised, however, when Tootie and her fairy turned up. Chloe did a double take, but once the shock wore off, she offered Tootie a beatific smile. Timmy's stomach flipped.

They hadn't slept well last night. They'd had to wish for sleep, although that was the providence of the Sand Man. Even so, nightmares had haunted them. Tootie, by contrast, looked like she'd not slept at all. Bags lined her eyes and she stifled a yawn as she trudged up to them.

"Want some real food?" Timmy asked, offering her a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich.

"Not hungry," she mumbled. She plopped between Timmy and Chloe and her fairy was disguised as a ferret. Cosmo and Wanda were disguised as rabbits again and faced their godchildren.

"What brings you here?" Chloe asked brightly.

"What do you think brings me here, Miss Ray of Sunshine?" Tootie spat.

"Obviously, the thrill of Chloe's company," Deb piped up and Tootie shot him a dirty look.

"Yeah, sure, that's it," she said. "And after which, I'm going to gouge my eyes out. For the sheer fun of it."

Chloe pulled a face and then seemed to brighten further, in defiance to Tootie's attitude. "We're all friends here."

Tootie glowered hatefully at Chloe. "Speak for yourself."

"Anyway…" Timmy said, noticing Tootie looking like she wanted to claw Chloe's throat out, "uh…I didn't think you were interested. I mean, you kinda stormed off last night."

"I don't know how you put up with her," Tootie snapped, pointing accusingly at Chloe. "Just being near her makes me want to murder her."

"Hey!" Chloe objected. "I understand that you have some negative emotions toward me. That's okay. I don't hold them against you."

"Seriously, Timmy. How do you endure this?" Tootie said.

Timmy shrugged. "I'm used to it. And she grows on you."

"Like cancer," Tootie spat.

Chloe frowned and glanced at Deborvak, who winked at her. Tootie glowered at her godfather, who winked at her in turn. She growled, throwing her hands in the air. Aside from Deb's earlier comment, the fairies had remained silent, perturbed by yesterday's events. Timmy didn't blame them. It wasn't every day they encountered a dead fairy…and he didn't want to ever do it again. He shifted closer, unconsciously, to Chloe, who had inched nearer to him. Tootie's eyes blazed.

"Why don't we discuss what we came here to talk about, rather than attempting to verbally flay Chloe?" Deborvak suggested.

Tootie balled her fists, dug her nails into her palms, and then, inhaling shakily, nodded. It still took her several seconds to master herself enough to speak without vitriol. Even so, her eyes flashed when she beheld Chloe. It was obvious to Timmy (and probably Chloe too) that Tootie was seething with jealousy. He didn't know how she intended to put it aside to work together.

"You don't think it'll happen again, do you?" Chloe asked in a hushed tone.

The three children glanced at the three fairies; Cosmo and Wanda flinched. Deborvak frowned, subdued. Timmy noticed Cosmo and Wanda were huddled close together again, as close to a terror hug as their current forms allowed. Deborvak frowned, opened his mouth, and then shook his head. Terror seemed to hang, palpable, over the group.

"You do, don't you?" Timmy pressed.

"Sport…" Wanda said and her voice was tense. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather enjoy your vacation doing something else?"

"If you guys are in danger, I want to know!" he said, jumping to his feet and garnering attention from the adults. Deborvak waved his wand and they returned to their previous activities. Abashed, Timmy settled back down beside Chloe. Her hand sought his and it was Tootie's glower that stopped him from seizing it. They were god siblings. This was totally normal. He didn't know why Tootie's judgment should affect him.

"We'd like to know too…" Cosmo said, strained.

"There's a way to find out," Tootie returned, determined. "We have to find out who attacked the fairy and what they want."

"Isn't it obvious what they want?" Deborvak said, shaking his head. "Tootie, I told you. We can't go sticking our noses where they don't belong. And there's no way to find out who attacked the other fairy, not at this stage."

"I don't believe that," she proclaimed. She rounded on Timmy. "Don't you care about Cosmo and Wanda?"

"Of course we do!" Chloe interjected, speaking for both godchildren. "And we want to do anything we can to help!"

"Perhaps we ought to leave this to Jorgen…" Wanda demurred.

"Jorgen doesn't care," Tootie snorted. She folded her arms across her chest. "He doesn't give a damn about anything but how he looks. He turns a blind eye to those suffering unless they pose a threat."

"That's not true!" Chloe objected. "Why would he give me fairies if I didn't deserve them?"

"Why indeed?" Tootie spat. "Why would he give them to you when you've done nothing to earn them and then ignore me until he decided I posed a threat to Fairy World?"

Wanda tried to catch Tootie's eye, but Tootie ignored her. She brimmed with self-righteous anger and would not be squelched. She dared the others to contradict her, but for once, Timmy didn't know what to say. Her tirade against Jorgen seemed personal and he hadn't been privy to why she'd received her godfather, only that she'd been ten times more miserable than him before.

"All right, we get it. You have legitimate grievances," Deborvak said and, before Tootie had a chance to run roughshod over him, he added, "I'm not discounting them. I'm saying that we need to put aside our prejudices. You want to find the perpetrators, regardless of the personal danger to you. I can respect that. However, castigating Chloe is getting you nowhere."

"Don't tell me you like her," Tootie spat.

"My feelings on the matter are insignificant," he said. "If you want to tackle this, we need a battle plan."

"I don't wanna tackle this…" Cosmo protested.

Chloe's eyes gleamed and Timmy knew what that look meant. She was as determined as Tootie now. There was no chance he'd be able to escape.

"Fine," he said, resigned. "What do we have to do?"

"We need to find the other fairies in town," Tootie declared. "And we need to warn them. Who else has a fairy in town?"

"We're not supposed to tell you…" Wanda pointed out. "It's against Da Rules."

"They can't be that hard to find," Chloe reasoned. "Just look for strange magical occurrences."

"Or Crocker breathing down their necks," Timmy muttered.

"We really ought to tell Jorgen and get his permission before we proceed," Chloe said and Tootie gave her a death glare.

"You do that, Princess. I'll be here being productive," she snapped. She folded her arms across her chest again. "Timmy, you're welcome to join me. _Without_ Chloe."

"He won't," Chloe said confidently. "Timmy and I are a team."

"Told you," Deborvak muttered and Tootie smacked him. Deborvak's eyes narrowed, but he didn't retaliate. For a brief second, his eyes flashed draconic yellow. Timmy shuddered.

They were silent for a time, with Wanda still trying to impress something upon Tootie. Sighing, Tootie stood, crooked her finger at Wanda, and the two walked off. Timmy, perplexed, glanced at Chloe, who looked just as nonplussed. Cosmo shrugged too; only Deborvak seemed to know what was up. His gaze followed the two as they stepped away from the campsite.

"I know Tootie has powers," Chloe remarked quietly. "But that doesn't really explain her hatred for me."

"Duh, she's jealous," Cosmo snorted. "You hang around Timmy all the time. She hardly ever sees him anymore."

"Yeah, she's probably still in love with me," Timmy said, for some odd reason uncomfortable with the admission. He wasn't saying he reciprocated, but it almost felt like he had. Or like he was saying he regarded her as anything besides a nuisance. She _had_ grown prettier in the interim and he'd sympathized with her before, as Vicky's kid sister. Why was it feeling like a competition between Chloe and Tootie?

Chloe frowned, studying Tootie. "I don't see why that means we can't be friends. We have you in common."

"Yeah, but you're not in love with me," he scoffed. Chloe didn't respond and his heart skipped a beat. He cocked his head at her.

"Right?" he pressed.

"Why would she resent my having Cosmo and Wanda if she has a faerie too?" she mused.

Okay, the fact that Chloe hadn't answered him didn't instill him with confidence. Of course, he could be reading too much into it. Why were girls so complicated? He said this knowing full well he had no idea what his feelings regarding Tootie or Chloe were anymore. Both made his heart skip beats and he longed to be near them. On the plus side, it didn't apply to every girl in his life—he still would rather bludgeon himself than be near Vicky.

"Don't ask me," he said.

"Because she wanted us instead?" Cosmo suggested and both children spun to face him.

"So you _do_ know something," Timmy charged.

"Nope. I know nothing."

Timmy groaned, facepalming. Never mind. He was sorry he'd asked. Clearly, he wasn't going to get a straight answer out of his godfather. Chloe's forehead was creased in thought and she studied the other girl. Purple sparks flew from Tootie's fingertips and she was shaking, suppressing her magic with an effort.

" _You_ know," Timmy snapped at Deborvak. He'd almost forgotten the other fairy was there. He had a way of blending in with his surroundings or causing other people to overlook him.

"She feels a kinship with Wanda," Deb commented. "She knows what it's like to be unappreciated."

"That's ridiculous," he scoffed. "Name one time I didn't appreciate Wanda."

Cosmo burst out laughing and Timmy shot him a dirty look. "Oh, wait. You're serious."

He laughed harder.

Chloe folded her arms across her chest too and glowered at Timmy. "You've taken advantage of her?"

"Hey, if she didn't like it, she would've said something," he protested. Then he remembered she had multiple times and he scowled. "Not the point."

* * *

While Timmy and Chloe hashed out Timmy's failings, Tootie scowled at Wanda. She knew that Wanda had an obligation toward Chloe and she respected that. However, that was as far as it went. She didn't know why Wanda preferred Miss Perfect over Timmy when (one), they'd had Timmy longer; (two), Timmy didn't make Tootie want to kill something; and (three), okay, well, she'd run out of reasons at two. Chloe seemed more considerate than Timmy, which was something Tootie didn't care to examine too closely, lest she vex herself.

"Hun, I know you dislike Chloe," she said and stifled a groan. "You've made that abundantly clear."

"She doesn't deserve you," she burst out, enraged.

"That's not for you to say," Wanda reminded her.

"She didn't keep Crocker away from you guys, she didn't put herself on the line to keep Timmy's secret— "

"She has," she said. "The secret's shared between them. If one of them blabs, they both lose us."

This didn't mollify her. She wanted a legitimate reason to hate Chloe, not just jealousy. Fuming, she glared at the ground around Wanda rather than risk hurting the little fairy. She was still fond of her, both because of who she was and because of what she'd done for Tootie. Over the years, she'd gotten better at handling her powers, but there were still accidents here and there.

"Sweetie…I know you're unhappy with how much time they spend together…"

"It's not that!" she snapped, though it was exactly that. She bit her lower lip. She drew in a sharp breath and hugged herself. "Timmy likes her, doesn't he? I can't compete against Miss Perfect. It's like Cindy Vortex all over again. Or Trixie Tang. Or anyone else who's caught his attention who isn't me."

She blinked back hot tears. "I can't compete with any of them because they're all prettier and smarter than me. Timmy will never notice me."

"Don't say that," she soothed. "He's still figuring things out. And right now, there are more important things at stake than Timmy's feelings for you."

Tootie cast a nasty look over her shoulder at Chloe. She bit her lower lip again and swiped at the tears slipping down her cheek. She was stronger than this. She was better. She was not going to spend another goddamn minute sobbing over Timmy Turner. Over the years, he'd wrung enough tears from her.

Wanda glanced both ways before changing back into her normal form and hugging Tootie. Tootie hugged her back and her lower lip wavered.

"Are you serious about wanting to pursue whoever hurt that fairy?" Wanda asked quietly.

"I have to. What if something happens to you guys? Or to Deb? I couldn't take it if that happened."

"I think Deborvak can take care of himself," Wanda said wryly. "He doesn't strike me as a damsel in distress. But I appreciate the sentiment."

Tootie said nothing. There had been a few occasions where Deborvak had needed to be rescued, most notably from an evil sorceress, but Wanda didn't need to know about that. Besides, that wasn't pertinent. She swallowed a sob.

"Don't tell me Jorgen will protect you," she whispered. "Remember Doombringer?"

"We've been trying to forget," Wanda said, shaking her head. She stroked Tootie's hair. Even though she had to be rattled, she was still trying to comfort Tootie. Her heart ached. How did Chloe deserve such kind-heartedness?

Wanda pulled her back and held her at arm's length. "If you're serious about tracking down the other fairies, then it's going to have to be you doing it. Timmy and Chloe can't be involved. Fairy godparents aren't allowed to reveal other godparents, but you're a half fairy. Da Rules don't apply to you."

Tootie's lips twitched. "For once, a perk to being a half-breed."

"Don't call yourself that," she admonished.

"If the shoe fits…" she said and shook her head. "Go back to Timmy…and that girl. I'll be okay."

"We'll go back together."

Though she would rather not, she followed Wanda to Chloe's campsite. The adults were still eating breakfast and she almost envied them their simple lives. She'd never be an ordinary human again. Then again, she'd never been an ordinary human. Vicky had seen to that.

"I'm going to attempt a truce," Tootie announced. She held out her hand for Chloe to shake. "If we're going to work together, then I have to swallow my pride. We all care about Cosmo and Wanda."

"Maybe we can be friends?" Chloe suggested and Tootie glowered.

"Don't push your luck."


	3. Palm in Mirror

A/N: Had to edit something in this to reflect the new Fireball Faerie chapter. I changed Chloe's backstory from canon so that she deserves fairies now. You'll probably figure out if you pay close attention.

Chapter Three: Palm in Mirror

Tootie had to work off what she knew. At some point in the past, Juandissimo had lost Remy or vice versa. She couldn't say she mourned her father's loss. She still resented what he'd done and how she'd been brought into this world. It was only because Wanda was such a pure, loving creature that Tootie didn't hate her too. And it was for Wanda's sake that she was doing this, Wanda and Timmy. Cosmo, she didn't know well enough to care.

Unfortunately, she hadn't the faintest clue how to go about this. Juandissimo had spent an inordinate amount of time in Fairy World—she'd never been there on her own. Deborvak still shied away from other fairies, despite having stayed in Dimmsdale for a couple years. She played around on her computer and looked for any hint of fairy activity…until she realized she was channeling Mr. Crocker and stopped. The last thing she wanted to do was blow her cover or come off as insane.

But Crocker might know something. He knew about Cosmo and Wanda, including possessing their hair and deeming them Timmy's fairies. How that wasn't a flagrant violation of Da Rules, Tootie didn't know. Timmy had never announced them to Crocker, but if Crocker already knew, wasn't that close enough? Jorgen seemed to play fast and loose with Da Rules sometimes. It drove her up the wall.

"You can always ask for help, you know," Deborvak said. He was disguised as a bird and was preening his feathers. His wife sat beside him in the bird cage. She usually accompanied him now, but tended to be rather quiet. Tootie still didn't know what to make of her.

"I thought fairies aren't supposed to let godchildren know who else has fairies," she pointed out.

"Right, but one of us isn't governed by Fairy World," Deborvak replied, nudging Masha. "She might be considered out of Jorgen's jurisdiction."

Tootie considered Masha. She hadn't spent any time alone with her. Could she be of assistance? Masha wasn't a fairy—she was a full-blooded dragon. Tootie also had no idea what her powers were. She didn't publicize them the way Deborvak did.

" _Can_ you help me?" she asked, skeptical.

"I can direct you toward the ley lines," she said. "Every magical creature is connected to them, regardless of whether they tap into them or not. Dimmsdale is a huge mass of ley lines due to the magical power that's been based here for centuries."

Tootie shrugged. It was worth a shot. She opened the bird cage and Masha hopped out and onto her shoulder. Deborvak had a grave look in his eyes and she knew without asking he wasn't going to accompany them. He went back to studying an ancient text with print too small to decipher, yet he somehow managed it. She didn't ask what he was reading. It wasn't worth the bother.

Heading out with Masha on her shoulder, she froze when she heard Vicky. Vicky didn't live there anymore, but that didn't stop her from dropping by every so often. Masha's claws tightened on Tootie's shoulder in response to Tootie's distress. Swallowing hard, Tootie concentrated on being unobtrusive and slipped down the stairs, past her sister in the kitchen, and out the door.

She'd like to think she'd gotten better at managing her powers. Of course, emotional upheaval undid all her work. Her control would fly out the window and she'd end up blasting something or someone innocent. She shook her head at herself and threw her mental senses out until she encountered other creatures in her mind. Then Dimmsdale's internal map, encoded in her mind, lit up like a Christmas tree.

"There are _that_ many fairies living here?" she shrieked, forgetting herself. Masha shushed her.

"They're not all fairies," she reminded her. "Some of them are magical beings of another order. For example, there's a witchling here."

"If you know who's here, then why don't you just tell me?" she asked, grumpy.

"Deborvak would want you to exercise your powers, not resort to laziness," she reprimanded.

Tootie muttered something about Masha being just as bad as Deborvak and Masha huffed. Who was the closest to her location? She was curious about the witch—she assumed by Masha's "witchling" comment that it was a child. They could be in grave danger too, if their predator's tastes ran toward hurting kids.

Besides Cosmo, Wanda, and Poof, whom she ignored, she detected magic near Crocker's house, Trixie Tang's house (yeah, she'd be skipping that one), Timmy's friends, and then other sordid locations. She discarded Timmy's friends out of hand, because their magical resonance had to do with Cosmo and Wanda, not with any foreign creatures. Crocker's house might bear investigating, unless it was Foop again. She still didn't understand how such a flagrant abuse of Da Rules was allowed there either.

She decided her first visit should be an area of town she'd never stepped foot in before. Chester lived in the trailer park, but there were others whose magical signatures nearly overlapped Cosmo and Wanda's residue. It made sense, she supposed. The children in low income families would be struggling to get by and be miserable too. They would need a little magic in their lives.

Tootie walked for a while in silence, absorbed in her thoughts. Magical creatures usually gave her a wide berth because she was a half-breed. It didn't endear her toward them, but that was okay. She had a small circle she could trust. That was all she required.

She folded her arms across her chest; it was unseasonably chilly in Dimmsdale today. It was like the arctic chill from Canada had traveled with them. Timmy and Chloe were still camping, but Tootie had lied and maneuvered her way out of it. She disappeared and her parents didn't ask where she went, because they feared asking questions. They were afraid of their own shadows.

It didn't matter that Vicky didn't live there anymore. Vicky's influence was pervasive. Tootie could feel her cold shadow upon her even now.

"You have an admirer," Masha murmured and Tootie whirled around. Was it Vicky? Could her demon half-sister be trailing her?

Her chest tightened and she assumed a battle stance. Then she saw who it was and straightened her spine.

"Chloe Carmichael," she spat.

"I thought maybe you could use some help," Chloe offered. She must have used Cosmo and Wanda to transport her here. Tootie didn't know how she'd misdirected her mom. Unlike Tootie's parents, Chloe's mom gave a damn about her daughter. It only fueled her resentment toward the towheaded girl. Chloe had almost everything a happy child could want. What the hell made her deserving of fairy godparents?

"Even if I needed help, which I don't," she sniffed, "it sure wouldn't be yours, Miss Sunshine and Rainbows."

"I thought we had a truce," she protested. They had stopped on the sidewalk and Tootie shivered as a cold breeze kicked up. She rubbed her arms. Chloe seemed unaffected. Perhaps that was the secret to why she possessed Cosmo and Wanda. She was unnatural too.

"Truces are easier to maintain when I don't have to look at you," she snapped.

"I'm not Timmy's girlfriend," she replied. "You don't have anything to be jealous of."

"He likes you," she growled. "And you like him. I've seen the glances you've exchanged. You get everything, Miss Perfect, and I get the leftovers. I don't need your help."

"This is too big a project for you to handle on your own," Chloe persisted. She reached for Tootie's arm and Tootie bit down the urge to punch her in the face. It would be so sweet. Perhaps she'd even break her nose.

"Don't ever touch me," she snarled.

"Please let me help," she said. "I'm good at anything I set my mind to."

Something in Tootie snapped and she swung at the other girl. Of course Chloe was perfect at everything she tried. She probably spoke multiple languages, helped the poor and the needy, and volunteered at soup kitchens. She was such a pure, innocent little girl and Tootie was filth beneath her shoes. Loathing, strong and undeniable, surged through her and even though Chloe had stepped aside to avoid being struck, Tootie barreled forward, feinting right only to sink her left fist into Chloe's stomach.

"I don't need your help," she spat. "I will never need your help. I _hate_ you, Chloe Carmichael, and there's no chance for me to change my mind or see you as anything other than the little Mary Sue that everyone adores."

Chloe blinked and then her eyes narrowed. To Tootie's consternation, the other girl feinted too…and then tripped her. Tootie scrambled back to her feet; Masha still clung to her shoulder, but she hadn't intervened. Was she waiting for a cue? Or did she not think this was worth stopping?

"I am trying to help you!" Chloe growled and Tootie was pleased to see her blue eyes flashing. "I love Cosmo and Wanda just as much as you do. We're on the same side!"

"I bet you've got all the boys fawning over you," she snapped. "The teachers probably fall over themselves to suck up to you. You can do no wrong."

"That's not true!" she protested. She'd gotten her on the defensive now. "I earn their respect. I don't have all the boys fawning over me—and I don't want that, either. We're part of the same magical world and while I understand why you're so jaded, I'm not like you think I am."

Tootie wasn't convinced.

"Oh, so you don't fart rainbows and shit butterflies?" she snarled.

Chloe looked exasperated. She huffed, stomping her foot. So, little Miss Perfect didn't have an endless amount of patience. That was reassuring. Perhaps there were cracks in her armor after all.

"I'm not the villain!" she said. "And I'm not perfect. I screw up too. I make wishes that get people hurt just like Timmy does. I mean well and then everything blows up in my face. Crocker only likes me when I'm making him look good or he can use me against Timmy. Maybe I don't deserve fairies. Maybe you're right. That doesn't change the fact that Jorgen decided I do. But I will do anything I can to keep them, because I love them, just like you do."

"Fine, you can come along," Tootie said. "Just…try not to get in the way."

She stormed up the sidewalk and Chloe kept a few paces back, which Tootie appreciated. Masha snorted and Tootie glanced at her.

"Blonde girls are the worst, am I right?" Masha commented.

"Okay, I know why I hate blondes, but why do you?" she asked.

"Deb's ex-girlfriend, the one who abandoned Vela and broke Deb's heart, is blonde," she said. "She's a bit of a ditz, too."

Tootie filed that away for future reference. After a while, she slowed down so she and Chloe could walk side by side. It felt like a great concession on her part, especially when she still wanted to hit the other girl. She was so perfect, so pretty and sweet that she gave Tootie cavities. And jealousy so strong that she had to swallow it back.

"Where are we going?" Chloe asked.

"Crocker's house first," she said, grimacing. "Unless it's just Foop messing around again. But I definitely sensed magical power emanating from here."

"He's not all bad, Foop," she commented. "Yes, he's evil, but he's loyal too. He's not all bad."

That was nice. Tootie didn't care. It was just another example of Chloe's "miracle powers" rearing their ugly head, as far as she was concerned.

"Tootie," she pressed and the raven-haired girl reluctantly looked at her. "I don't know how to make you stop hating me, but I'm not going away. I still think we can be friends or at least acquaintances."

Tootie stared long and hard at her. Chloe didn't avert her gaze, which she could respect.

"Who's on your shoulder? That's not your godfather. And it can't be a fairy, because it doesn't have a crown."

"Masha, care to introduce yourself?" Tootie murmured and Masha shrugged.

"I am Mashaniket," she said. "I am Deborvak's wife and his voice of reason among raving lunatics. You can call me 'Masha' for short."

She inclined her head toward Chloe.

"You're not a fairy, though," Chloe observed.

"I am not. I am a dragon shapeshifter. I usually adopt whichever form Deborvak takes, however…" she said and if she had possessed the ability to do so, she would have frowned. Tootie could hear it in her voice.

They were approaching Crocker's house, which put an end to the conversation quickly. It remained as dilapidated and depressing as ever. Masha shrank against Tootie's shoulder. As a dragon, she shouldn't have anything to fear from Crocker, right? Yet she was close to Tootie anyway and as Chloe stood behind them, Masha cast her a quick glance.

Tootie followed her sense of magic and used her wand to render them wraiths, so they could slip through the walls. They passed into his kitchen and from there, descended into the Crocker Cave. Masha shivered again and Tootie echoed her. This place was creepy. Crocker had a wall dedicated to all the fairies he'd found and where he'd located them.

For the spell to work, Chloe had to stand close to Tootie, which Tootie for once didn't begrudge her because, to Tootie's horror, she was on Crocker's wall along with Juandissimo. The color drained from her face. How did Crocker know so much? What did he intend to do with this information? Was he just waiting to pounce?

Chloe was on there too, next to Timmy. Footsteps echoed down the stairs and Tootie spun, putting Chloe to her back to protect her. To her profound relief, it was Foop accompanying Crocker down the stairs, along with Dark Laser. It felt like her heart had stopped in her chest. However, she still wasn't mollified. Crocker knew about them. From the looks of things, he knew everything.

Masha had shifted on Tootie's shoulder to scrutinize the wall. She huffed, jumped off Tootie's shoulder, and pecked her likeness off the wall.

"I am not a fairy," she grumped. Tootie rather thought that was the least of their worries.

Could Crocker be their suspect? It seemed too pat and neat, for one thing, and, for another, she thought Crocker would have used magical power rather than squander it. Plus, if he was that bloodthirsty, how could he have befriended Foop and not destroyed him?

"Ooh, I think we have visitors!" Foop crooned and Tootie grabbed Chloe's hand and poofed out of there in a hurry. They reappeared in front of Timmy's house, but Tootie's chest was still tight from the close call. Plus, she couldn't get the image of the wall out of her mind.

"He knows everything…" Chloe breathed. "How can that be?"

"How can Fairy World let him get away with that, you mean," Tootie replied, subdued. "I don't know. But I don't think he's our culprit."

Chloe nodded. She hugged herself and Tootie surprised herself by putting a hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"We don't know for sure," Chloe pointed out.

"He isn't," she said. "Sure, he has the motive, but I don't think he'd kill anyone. Not like Doombringer."

They both flashed back to that body in the camping site. Why had it been there? She didn't recall sensing any magic before the attack. Could the murderer be a fairy too? They'd assumed it was a human because then they'd be able to seize their magic, but what if the killer didn't have any need for it?

"If Crocker isn't our suspect, then we have no idea what we're looking for," Chloe said.

"We need to focus on warning people first," she said. After a minute, Chloe nodded.

They were silent for a moment. Both the wall and the fairy's body lingered in her mind. Masha shuffled uneasily on her shoulder.

"Where to next, then?" Chloe asked.

"Fairy World," Masha said, surprising them both. "We need to talk to Jorgen and ask him why he's turning a blind eye to this."

"You can't take us there, can you?" Tootie asked, surprised. Masha snorted.

"No, but you can," she said. "Just because you never have doesn't mean you're incapable of it. And we do need to speak with him."

Tootie frowned. What if she couldn't hack it? What if they ended up like in Harry Potter and splinched? It was so much pressure. She felt like Tweak from South Park about to tear out her hair.

"I can give you a magical boost," Masha offered.

Tootie nodded and held out her hand. With her wand in the other, she pictured Fairy World. Usually when something went something went awry, Jorgen was the first on the scene. Masha was right that it was suspicious for him to be absent. And anyway…she had a few bones to pick with Jorgen. She might as well get it all out in the open now.

Closing her eyes, she squeezed her wand and waited to see if they'd make it or end up broken in two. Or not move at all.


	4. Hourglass

Chapter Four: Hourglass

Tootie almost blacked out. Masha must have shifted to fairy form to steady her, because she staggered, nearly fell to her knees, and was jerked back to standing. Her skin felt cold and clammy and Masha's hand on her face steadied her. For a few seconds, she couldn't see. Her vision was spotted with black and she was gasping. That had taken considerably more magic than she'd expected. Magic flowed into her and she could straighten up and take stock of the situation.

"Are you okay?" Chloe asked. They had materialized on Hartman Street and Tootie glanced, in awe, at her surroundings. There were fairies bustling by like this was no big deal and Masha, looking pale, next to her.

"I suspect it was Chloe piggybacking off you that drained you," Masha said to Tootie. "You'll be okay. Deep breaths. There's enough magic here that you shouldn't need mine in a minute or so."

"I'm _fine_ ," she said to Chloe. She offered Masha a wan smile.

"Right, well, we probably should've gotten a tour guide," Masha said. "Because you don't know your way around here and I'm not sure Chloe does either. Do you?"

"I can find our way to Jorgen's office," Chloe said. "If you're good to go?"

Tootie nodded and Chloe started. Masha and Tootie were gawking, disused to the sight of so many fairies congregated together. In Masha's world, it was unusual because all the fairies lived in exile on one island. Tootie only saw godparents, not regular fairies, and never this many at a time. Chloe was unperturbed and Tootie strove to match her.

After a while, her head cleared and she moved without feeling like she was about to keel over. Masha poked at her, poofed up a mirror, and Tootie saw wings and a crown above her head. She swallowed giddiness. On Earth, those never materialized. She wasn't sure whether they were there to help them blend in or because they belonged to her.

They were the only creatures walking, but the sight of human children in Fairy World must've been a common one, because no one commented on it. Tootie beamed. They saw her and they accepted her. She was one of them. She _belonged_.

They strode up to Fairy Town Hall and then, because doors were only ornamental in Fairy World, poofed through until they reached the waiting area. Other fairies were cooling their heels in midair and while Tootie was jealous they could float, which she could only do after concentrating on it, she was too psyched to care. She felt like cheering and only Chloe's presence kept her from whooping aloud.

"Masha, do you see?" she whispered. Her godmother beamed back. "They see _me_."

A receptionist looked up and called them to Jorgen's office. Other fairies shot Tootie annoyed glances; she must've skipped ahead in line. Oops. She, Chloe, and Masha all materialized in Jorgen's office, where Fairy World's enforcer was gazing at a complicated chart and frowning. With alarm, Tootie recognized it. It was Crocker's spreadsheet of who's who magically in Dimmsdale.

Jorgen didn't address them immediately. He was scrutinizing the bottom of the board, where an obnoxious looking yellow dog loomed, linked to both Timmy and Crocker. They'd poofed away too quickly earlier for Tootie to get a good look at the chart before, but she saw now that Timmy and Crocker were linked by the dog and by Cosmo and Wanda. Crocker had also linked himself to Foop, whereas Poof was linked to his parents and Timmy.

Tootie wondered whether she ought to draw the giant fairy's attention to them. It might be considered rude. She hadn't seen him in a while, not since he'd given Nathaniel and Magdalene their happy ever after. Her feelings toward him had changed minutely in that regard, but not enough for her to keep from resenting him. (She resented Juandissimo more, though).

Remy was listed too, with an 'x' between him and Juandissimo. Juandissimo was linked with a heart and a question mark to Cupid and Wanda. Her father was bisexual. That was interesting. From what she'd experienced with Fairy World's fairies, sexuality tended to be fluid here. (Not so much in Tyrocka, where things tended to be more black and white. Gay or straight). She guessed if you lived that long, you wanted to change things up occasionally.

Magdalene and Nathaniel were linked to her, but the line was thinner than her link to Deborvak. Frowning, Tootie stepped closer, which was when Jorgen's head swiveled to regard them.

"You are here because of this, yes?" Jorgen said. Tootie didn't know what to say. Her mouth had gone dry.

"Yes, that and something else," Chloe supplied. That had to mark the first time she was glad Chloe had spoken. It broke Tootie's lock with the chart and she glanced back at her companions. Masha flew past Jorgen's head and pointed at Deborvak and her. Vela, Aurelia, and their young son Melchior were on there too.

"How does he know about my children?" Masha asked with barely concealed fury. "Do you mean to tell me your security is that poor?"

"I have had other things demanding my attention," Jorgen snapped back.

"This isn't a security breach. This is a security _void_ ," Masha snarled. "It's a black hole. This man knows enough to bring down your entire world, yet you permit him to walk around unmolested?"

"Hey," Chloe said, holding up her hand. "Hey. Why don't we address one thing at a time? And not accuse anyone of anything? Take a deep breath, Masha. Yelling won't solve anything."

Masha drew a staggering breath, balled her fists, and tried to calm herself. She was quivering in rage and Tootie knew it took a lot to upset her. However, after the sorceress had threatened Deborvak's family and Deborvak had almost died trying to protect them, Masha took all threats to her family seriously. Tootie didn't blame her for freaking out.

"Fine, youngling," Masha said after a minute. "I will not turn into a dragon and thrash Fairy World's head for putting my daughters and son in unnecessary danger."

"How _did_ Crocker amass so much information?" Tootie said.

"Foop," Jorgen answered. "Anti-Fairy World has given him free rein and Anti-Cosmo and Anti-Wanda have abandoned their offspring. It is a problem, but not unexpected, as they _are_ evil. We cannot control the anti-fairies. However, I believe this may be harmless."

"How, exactly, is this harmless?" Masha demanded from between clenched teeth. "If a hair on my babies' heads gets touched, you will be very sorry."

"You know, she's right," Chloe said. "Not about destroying you, but that this is a great security risk. Crocker could blow everyone's secret."

"I am aware of that," Jorgen said, sighing and settling into his chair, which sank under his weight. "Unfortunately, we have been using his crazy to power Fairy World for too long to risk treating him. Then things escalated—there have been a few timeline hiccups as well, things that should not have existed, such as a videotape of Crocker with Sparky, Cosmo, and Wanda."

"So, what you're saying is that you're completely incompetent," Masha said.

"Fairy World has chosen to overlook this," he growled. "Do not test my patience, woman."

Jorgen rubbed his temples. "The Fairy Council is overlooking this and keeping a close eye on Crocker. If he were to expose Fairy World, he would lose Foop as well and he has a strange friendship with him. I do not believe he would attempt it."

Masha folded her arms across her chest and simmered. She had lost control over some of her form and a dragon tail lashed back and forth in the air. Her eyes had shifted to draconic gold and scales materialized on her hands and face.

"How does he know so much about us? It can't all be from Foop," Chloe objected. "There's too much information here. Plus, I've never even heard of some of these fairies."

She pointed to Nathaniel and Magdalene specifically.

Jorgen looked like he was about to have a migraine. Tootie wished she could dredge up sympathy for him, but her godmother was having a conniption and even Chloe looked uneasy. She wasn't sure what she had anticipated, but whatever it was, this wasn't it. Tootie shifted, uncomfortable.

"There is also a leak inside Fairy World," he admitted. "I was hoping to enlist your assistance in locating them."

"Is this the same person who's killing your fairy godparents?" Tootie asked and Jorgen bolted upright, hitting the roof. He slammed his wand down and something exploded outside. Chloe covered her head and Masha winced, drifting closer to Tootie.

"Someone is murdering fairies?" he growled.

"Wow…we really should've led with that…" Chloe muttered.

"Timmy says it's happened before, with a woman named Doombringer," Tootie added. A woman she'd never had the misfortune to meet, thankfully. Besides, Doombringer wouldn't have been as interested in her at the time. She wasn't a full-blooded fairy and she hadn't possessed a godparent of her own. Deborvak didn't have fairy dust, either. In his world, fairy dust came from wings like butterfly dust and indicated a fae was gravely ill.

"Yes, that woman," Jorgen said and sank back into the chair. If a migraine had been looming before, it'd hit now. His expression was pained.

"Timmy's told me about her," Chloe said. She looked faint and Tootie wasn't sure why. "He said she rips fairy wings off and crowns and keeps them as souvenirs. This killer, whoever he/she is, dismembered the corpse."

No, it wasn't her imagination. Chloe was looking green around the gills now. Masha straightened, her anger dissipating, and shot Chloe a worried look. Tootie was torn between concern over the blonde girl and irritation that, yet again, she had elicited her godparents' sympathy.

"If I may speak with Chloe alone for a minute?" Jorgen said and, before Tootie had a chance to object or question it, she and Masha were propelled back into the waiting room. That was weird. What was _that_ about?

"Why'd he want to talk to her alone?" Tootie queried.

"Don't know," Masha said, frowning. "It's very strange."

Tootie stared at the painted-on door and folded her arms across her chest. Yes, this whole day was shaping up to be unusual.

"I do not think it is a good idea for you to be investigating this case," Jorgen said somberly.

"It doesn't bother me," she protested.

"This touches very close to the reason why you received fairy godparents in the first place," he said.

"I can handle it," she reassured him. "Tootie and I can find the culprit and bring them to justice. You'll see."

"No," he growled. "I will _not_ see. You will give yourself a mental breakdown if you continue down this path, Chloe Carmichael."

"I'll be _fine_ ," she said. "I promise."

Jorgen's eyes narrowed. "Children's promises do not always work out."

"I'm better. It doesn't bother me anymore. I swear, cross my heart and hope to die," she said.

"At the slightest hint that you are being triggered by this, I will pull you and Tootie off the trail. Do you hear me?" he growled.

Chloe nodded. Jorgen pounded his wand and summoned Tootie and Masha back to the room. They looked bewildered and caught in the middle of a frantic conversation, which ended when they discovered their new surroundings.

"You will investigate this killer, but you will not approach him," he said and shot Chloe a warning glance. "You will not attempt to apprehend him yourself. You will leave that to Fairy World. Are we clear?"

All three nodded. Jorgen slammed his wand down again and they reappeared on Earth. Tootie looked relieved not to have needed to transport them there herself. She was still weak from the last trip.

"There's a leak in Fairy World and a killer running amuck," Chloe said. "Looks like we have our work cut out for us."

"Yes…" Tootie said, eying her. "It looks like we do."


	5. Poem for the Unspoken

A/N: I am so sorry that this chapter took so long to come out. I'm in grad school and life has been _insane_.

Chapter Five: Poem for the Unspoken

"You have to help," Chloe entreated Timmy. They were sitting on his bed and Cosmo and Wanda floated nearby. Poof was at Spellementary School still and Sparky had, as far as Chloe knew, flown the coop. As she'd never met him, she couldn't say whether she'd missed him.

"Oh, no," he said. "I'm not having anything to do with Tootie or her crazy godfather."

"They're not that bad," she protested. "And don't you care about what happens to other fairies? What if something were to happen to Cosmo and Wanda?"

"Yeah!" the fairies chorused, indignant. They shot Timmy a warning look as if daring him to contradict Chloe's question. Timmy grimaced. He couldn't very well say that he didn't care about his godparents and they both knew it. She'd trapped him.

"I still don't wanna work with Tootie," he argued.

"Then you're going to work on your own?" she asked and he pulled a face. She grabbed him by the collar. "You're helping us, one way or another. Doesn't the thought of someone running around murdering fairies leave you sick?"

"Yeah, but…aren't we putting ourselves in danger too?" he pointed out.

"So?" she asked, puffing out her chest. "It behooves us to find the culprit before they hurt anyone else. Like I said, what if they attack Cosmo and Wanda? Who has the power to bring a fairy down besides Doombringer?"

It felt weird to discuss Doombringer when all she knew was hearsay.

"Another fairy?" he suggested. "An anti-fairy?"

"That could be anyone!" she protested, throwing her hands in the air. "That's why we need you to help us! You've been around fairies for longer than anyone else. You know how they think."

"I don't think at all!" Cosmo piped up.

"I wouldn't go that far, hon…" Wanda demurred.

"Tootie and her godfather Deborvak are weird," he protested. "You wouldn't wanna help if you knew them better. Tootie only stopped stalking me when she got Deb."

Chloe disregarded this. As far as she was concerned, if Tootie had stopped, then it was no cause for alarm now. If she had restarted, that would be something else. Besides, Chloe liked to see the best in people, even if Tootie kept treating her like dirt. She was trying her patience, but sometimes, people needed trials to become better.

"Then what are you suggesting?" she asked. "That you and I work together?"

"Yes!" he exploded. "If you're gonna rope me into this, then I don't want to work with her. I'll work with you, that's fine, but not her. Never her."

"She isn't _that_ bad," she argued. "You haven't given her a chance."

"I don't know why you're giving her a chance when she's treated you like shit since before your dad died," he shot back. Chloe's face tightened and Cosmo and Wanda gave Timmy a dirty look. Talking about her father wasn't verboten, but it wasn't encouraged, either.

"I don't think she knows that's why I got my fairies," she replied, subdued. "And I didn't tell her, either."

"Why not?" he snapped. "Maybe it'd get her to stop from being such a bitch."

"Timmy! Language!" Wanda reprimanded. Chloe's lips twitched. Leave it to Wanda to scold Timmy for obscenities when he used them all the time anyway. His parents had threatened to wash his mouth out, but they were never around enough for the lesson to stick.

"Does she really need to know?" Chloe asked. "I don't see how it's relevant."

Timmy threw his hands up in the air. "Of course it's relevant. Maybe she'd get that stupid stick up from her ass— "

"Timmy!" Wanda snapped.

"Up her butt," he corrected. "Happy?"

Wanda rolled her eyes. Chloe's stomach clenched. She didn't want to discuss her father, because that inevitably recalled how he had perished. She clenched and unclenched her fists. Cosmo and Wanda were now fixing Timmy accusing looks, because they knew he'd triggered her. She focused on her breathing as her therapist had told her and tried to ground herself.

"Sorry," he said. He took her hand and squeezed it, while she strove to remain in the present and not return to the powerless girl she'd been three years ago, staring at the computer screen in horror. She felt disconnected from her body and Timmy waved a hand in front of her face. Her eyes didn't track. She didn't feel tethered to him or anyone else.

"Timmy," Wanda growled and her voice seemed to reach Chloe from a vast distance.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he said. "What did I do to her?"

She heard the screams and curled into a ball. Rocking back and forth, she barely heard her godparents and Timmy talking. She was trapped, the moment recurring, and just like before, she was forced to witness it. Her lips trembled and tears streaked her cheeks.

"If Chloe doesn't want to talk about her father, she doesn't have to," Cosmo said.

"I said I'm sorry!" Timmy protested and curled up around Chloe. He wrapped his arms around her and then shook her gently. "Hey. Hey. You're here, not there. I'm sorry. Jeez."

His touch was familiar, as were Cosmo and Wanda's when they brushed her cheek and stroked her hair. She relaxed, able to reconcile what she felt with what she'd experienced and realize they were two separate events. The tension drained from her and left her feeling weak again. This was why she hadn't told Tootie about her father. Talking about him and how he had perished brought it all back.

"Now who looks like an asshole?" Cosmo asked and Wanda smacked him. "What? Just saying."

"I'm sorry, guys," she mumbled. She opened her eyes and regarded Timmy. "You don't have to help if you don't want to. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"I'll help," he said. "Besides, I owe you one after I triggered you."

She sat up and smiled, though her limbs felt weak and she collapsed against the pillows. Unbeknownst to Timmy, she was having problems sorting her feelings for him too. She knew they were supposed to feel like siblings toward each other, but lately, that had shifted. However, she hadn't said anything because she knew there were other candidates for Timmy's affection, like Tootie, and it wasn't fair for her to monopolize his time. (If someone else wanted to be with him, she would step aside in favor of his happiness, no matter what it cost her). It would be selfish for her to admit anything when she knew she was already high in his regard.

They were silent for a moment, with Timmy bolstering Chloe. She was worn out, as though she'd been running a marathon. Emotional upheavals could just be as traumatic as physical ones. Her therapist had told her that and she ought to take it into account. Still, she was disinclined to move. She liked being close to Timmy, as selfish as that was. To herself, she could admit she was being selfish, wanting him for herself.

"What are you going to do?" Timmy asked, breaking the silence.

"Jorgen already warned me against getting too involved," she said, scowling. Considering Timmy triggering her, she had to admit that he had a point. "But how can I not? I don't want to imagine a world without fairies."

"Neither do we, sweetie," Wanda said.

"I like existing!" Cosmo replied and Chloe laughed humorlessly. It jolted them and they stared at her. That had come too close to something she'd been thinking earlier for her to be entirely comfortable and she shifted further from Timmy.

"Chloe?" Timmy asked, cautious now. She shook her head.

"We need to figure out what drew the culprit to that fairy," she said, working on controlling herself. She couldn't allow any more slip-ups. "Was it a case of the fairy being in the wrong place in the wrong time? Had the fairy 'done' something? If we can pinpoint why, perhaps we can prevent it from happening again."

"We can't exactly interview the dead," Timmy pointed out and then gulped. "And there wasn't enough to reanimate…"

That was a sobering thought. Chloe pushed aside images of her father and her stomach clenched. She thought she might be sick. No, she could handle this. She had proven to herself that she was stronger than this.

Chloe folded her arms across her chest. Cosmo and Wanda still looked concerned; she hadn't been able to dispel their doubts. Timmy wasn't far behind, either, casting her a shrewd glance. She suddenly wished they'd disappear and leave her alone. She was okay. Really. How many times did she have to convince them of that before they believed her?

"If we can't reanimate the dead, then we must find out who the fairy was," Wanda said. "We need to find out who's been assigned to Dimmsdale and whether any child is missing their godparent."

"What if the fairy was just hanging around Dimmsdale?" Timmy asked.

"Then we're up the creek without a paddle," Cosmo said cheerfully.

Chloe frowned. "I thought you weren't allowed to tell us who had godparents and who didn't."

"This is an exigent situation," Wanda said and then, at Timmy's and Cosmo's blank looks, added, "A pressing situation. It overrides our usual rule."

"Wait, you mean things override Da Rules? Like what?" Timmy asked, clearly entertaining a bout of rule breaking. Wanda glowered at him.

"Besides a Fairyversary muffin?" Cosmo asked. "Loads of things. The Fairy Council can make emergency decrees— "

"Never mind that," Wanda huffed. She was still peering at Chloe curiously, which made the towheaded girl want to pull back and hide under the blankets. Except for the fact that this was Timmy's room and she couldn't hide as easily here as she could at home.

"To Fairy World, then?" Timmy asked and the fairies nodded. Wanda frowned at Chloe.

"Just a minute. I need to have a girl talk with Chloe," she said and waved her wand, sending Timmy and Cosmo on their way. Chloe winced, feeling like she'd been backed into a corner. This wasn't how she'd anticipated this meeting going. And she still wanted to work with Tootie, regardless of how the girl had treated her before. She was convinced there was good in Tootie and all Chloe needed to do was bring it out.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she pressed. "If you need to talk to us about anything, you can. I know this is difficult. We're here for you."

Before Chloe had a chance to reply, Wanda added, "And don't lie and tell me you're fine. Timmy's right. You're a terrible liar."

Chloe hugged herself. "I'll be okay."

Wanda narrowed her eyes. "I don't believe you. I'm not trying to attack you, but I am worried about you."

"Don't you think this is more important than whatever happened in the past?" she countered. If she couldn't lie, then at least she could change the subject.

"I don't think you can weigh things that way," she replied and stroked Chloe's hair. Chloe bit her lower lip.

"How about I'll tell you if things get too difficult to deal with?" she said.

"That's the thing, hon. You don't know when to stop, even when you're miserable," Wanda said. "I won't press you any further, but…please, don't hurt yourself in the name of this. You're not the only one with a vested interest. We love you and we don't want you to get hurt."

Chloe's throat tightened. Her mother loved her too, even if she didn't see her as often as she saw her fairy godparents. She believed all three of them and she knew her mother would've been cautioning her against this too. But didn't they see? In a weird way, this would help her get over her father's death. She wasn't sure how, mind you, but she thought it'd work if she just gave it time.

Wanda hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. She wished she'd stop with the overt affection. It was making it hard to hold back.

"We'd better go," she said in a voice that didn't sound remotely like her own. "Cosmo and Timmy will be wondering where we are. And we don't want to leave those two alone for too long."

Wanda grimaced and released her. Even as they poofed away to Fairy World, Wanda watched her, like Chloe was a bomb ticking away.

* * *

It moved in between the realms with aplomb. It had no place in Dimmsdale, nor any more in Fairy World, but that mattered not. It watched Chloe, Cosmo, Wanda, and Timmy canvas Fairy World in search of answers and it smirked. The girl was particularly vulnerable to manipulation. Perhaps it was time to spread some nightmares and throw her off the trail before she got too confident. Jorgen _had_ warned her.

It wouldn't be the creature's fault if Chloe failed to heed him.

* * *

Tootie rolled over onto her stomach and glanced at Deborvak, Masha, and Vela. She was in her bedroom and mulling over whatever Jorgen had pulled Chloe aside to tell her. She was also mulling over her inability to ferry a human to Fairy World without repercussions. She was half faerie. Surely that should have counted for something. However, she felt inadequate and worried, because she knew the next step would have to be something only she could do.

"I have to talk to Juandissimo."

The words fell like lead into the room. The three Tyrockan natives stared at each other (Vela looking up from her purple cased cellphone). Juandissimo was not a popular subject here; since she'd discovered her powers, she'd had few dealings with her father. She still resented the reason for her birth and didn't buy Juandissimo's flimsy excuses. Plus, Juandissimo was terrified of Deborvak, for reasons that her godfather refused to elaborate on but which Tootie suspected had to do with dark magic and intimidation. While Deborvak was technically not supposed to be using dark magic…he occasionally performed feats that he knew would slide beneath Jorgen's radar.

"I should probably do it alone."

Again, silence accompanied her statement. Masha eyed her, Vela returned to flicking something on her screen, and only Deborvak frowned, purple sparks flying from his fingertips.

"You have not been alone with Juandissimo in a very long time," Deborvak warned. "Are you sure?"

"Someone has to warn him," she pointed out. "And he might know who the fairy was that died. I bet we'll do better detective work than Little Miss Muffat."

"About that…" Deborvak said, frowning. "I know you don't want to hear it, but there is a _reason_ Chloe has Cosmo and Wanda."

"And Timmy," she huffed. She rolled over onto her back and folded her arms across her chest. "Don't tell me you're joining the Chloe Fan Club."

"Under Da Rules, I'm forbidden to tell you the reason, but maybe you ought to lay off, okay?" he said. "If she wants to tell you, she'll tell you."

"She hasn't wanted to yet," she pointed out darkly. "It's probably something stupid."

"No, it isn't," he said.

"How the hell do you know what it is?" she shot back.

"Three years ago, I tracked her down in the bathroom and drained her of negative emotions," he said. "I would have cast a numbing spell on her, but I feared interfering too much might bring Cosmo and Wanda down on me."

"You've never cared about that before," she scoffed.

"This is different," he said. "Messing with them is not the same as potentially harming their goddaughter."

"Right, well, I'll keep that in mind whenever she stops being so irritating," she grumbled. "In the meanwhile, I'm going to see Juandissimo. You guys will tell me if anything happens, right?"

Deborvak inclined his head and frowned. Tootie bit back a growl. Deborvak usually didn't speak about Chloe, beyond occasional hints that she ought to take it easy on her. Since that usually didn't end well, he stopped defending her. Why was he doing it again? Ugh, this was a wretched mood to encounter Juandissimo in.

She waved her wand above her head and appeared in Juandissimo's house in Fairy World. Although it resulted in tightness in her chest and a shortness of breath, it was nowhere near as taxing as transporting Chloe there. Juandissimo, who had been in the middle of searching through his copy of Da Rules, turned at her approach. Tootie's chest tightened for a different reason. She never knew how to act around her biological father.

"Mi chica, what brings you here?" he asked.

Tootie didn't know how to start the conversation. Her mouth dried out and her mind went blank. She knew she ought to tell him about the attack, but the words wouldn't come. Juandissimo studied her before waving his wand again and conjuring up a table and chairs. He poured something out of a decanter, wine perhaps, and then slid the glass toward her. No, not wine. Grape soda. She relaxed minutely.

His glass, however, was wine. It didn't bubble and alcohol's sharp, unmistakable odor reached her. She found herself almost wishing for the wine instead. Liquid courage would've been nice.

"I am sorry I have been absent so much…" he said and swirled his wine. "I have had other engagements. But you are happy with your family, are you not?"

Tootie narrowed her eyes. "As happy as you are with Wanda."

Juandissimo hissed. "You cut me to the quick. I had thought that Deborvak was fulfilling his duties as your godfather."

"He is," she said. "It's the human side of the equation that's the problem."

"Ah, that I cannot do anything for," he said. "Not unless you wished to leave Earth behind and live in Fairy World."

Tootie's jaw dropped. "Wait…that's a thing? I can actually do that?"

"Si, if Jorgen agrees, then you can certainly do that," he replied. "Magdalene and Nathaniel have resettled here, after all. And Jorgen has been helping them track down their son Ezekiel. He is not as strict as he once was."

"You mean I don't have to live on Earth? I don't have to deal with Miss Perfect Carmichael, Icky Vicky, my neglectful parents, and Timmy who will never look my way? I can live _here_?" she exclaimed. "Why didn't you say so before?"

"You never asked, mi chica," he replied. "And…your godfather, he is…muy intimidante."

Tootie smirked. Yes, he could be at that. But…she frowned. Was Deborvak the reason Juandissimo had stayed away? How could he avoid Wanda for all that time? She knew her father well enough to recall that he'd never give up on Wanda, no matter how much it cost him.

"You don't go to Dimmsdale very often, do you?" she asked, her tongue feeling freer than it had. She was thrilled to know she had an option and she didn't have to stay on Earth. She could leave her life behind and live free. How soon could she go?

"I have not since I lost touch with Remy," he said. "Why do you ask?"

"There's been an unpleasant event there…" she said and grimaced. "One of the fairies in town was attacked."

Juandissimo frowned. "How? Fairies can heal themselves quite rapidly."

"We think…we think it was another fairy," she said, feeling chilled. "Or a supernatural creature that attacked the fairy before it had a chance to heal itself."

Juandissimo was watching her closely. "You might as well spit it out, mi chica."

"Chloe, Timmy, and I found a disemboweled fairy…it was so torn up we couldn't even tell what it was beyond the basics…" she said. Remembering it brought a sour taste to her mouth and she wished she'd asked Masha to accompany her, if not Deborvak. She shuddered and Juandissimo hugged her. It was the first time he'd shown her affection in a while and though she was grateful, she also worried that his concern was not for her, but for someone else. Namely, Wanda, as everything in his life narrowed down to her.

"Then you should not be in Dimmsdale," he said. "You should be in Fairy World and letting Jorgen handle this."

"Chloe wants me to help her," she scoffed. Unlike everyone else she spoke to, Juandissimo didn't immediately jump to Chloe's defense. Then again, he probably didn't know the blonde-haired girl from a hole in the wall. The thought made Tootie feel better, even if it was petty.

"She has no business in this either," he muttered. "It is too dangerous."

"You don't know any other fairies in Dimmsdale besides Cosmo and Wanda, do you?" she asked.

Shaking his head, he gazed at his wineglass. "I was unaware there were other children with godparents besides you, Timmy, and Chloe in Dimmsdale."

"Could it have been a random fairy that wandered into town on the wrong day?" she mused, mostly talking to herself.

"It is possible," he allowed. "Tootie, fairy hunters tend to consider half-breeds like you easier to catch because of your unpredictable magic. You should not be involved in this."

Tootie swallowed past a lump in her throat. Her eyes narrowed and she put her hands on her hips. "If Chloe's doing this, then so am I. I'm not backing down."

Was this fatherly concern at long last? Or was it something else masquerading? She didn't know and Juandissimo didn't elaborate. Sensing she wasn't going to get much else out of him, she readied herself to leave. Juandissimo cleared his throat behind her and she spun to face him.

"Be careful," he advised. "You do not have the same experience with fairy hunters that I do. They do not consider children off-limits."

Nodding, her eyes filled with tears though she was afraid to examine why, she poofed back home. Juandissimo must care about her, but she doubted it was on her own merits. It was a bitter pill to swallow. A bitter, jagged little pill.


	6. Memento Mori

Author's Note: Back-posting. I'll work on this today if I have time later after all this damn homework.

Chapter Six: Memento Mori

Magic swirled around the creature as it watched the fairies and their godchildren. None of them were having any luck sleuthing him out; perhaps he ought to make it easier? Smiling, he raised his pilfered wand and clouds formed over Dimmsdale. The group had gathered in the park and the tension lay thick between them. Magic coated one of the girls, an unusual prospect in a child, but not so unusual for a half-breed. He sneered, eyes narrowing.

Did they want clues? Let them rain down upon them. The sky darkened further, clouds occluding the sun entirely. Droplets formed and cascaded upon the group. It was amazing the power one could wield when one had a stolen wand to perform magic with. This wasn't the kind of magic he could accomplish at home. It was showy, but that was part of its charm.

He closed his eyes and licked his lips as the rain started. It tasted like diluted metallic and the sparkles tingled on his tongue. Red slicked his black hair and his overcoat. A few feet away, the children and their fairies started screaming.

They'd only come here because the park had seemed like neutral ground. Chloe had had a hell of a time dragging Timmy, too, as he was obstinate and determined not to meet with Tootie. However, Chloe had insisted and, as usual, Timmy ended up caving.

Chloe didn't recognize the second fairy Tootie had brought with her and was about to inquire further when the sky darkened. As it was a perfect, balmy day in Dimmsdale, California, Chloe didn't know what to make of it. Meteorologically, this shouldn't be happening. There'd been no mention of it in the forecast, the humidity was too low, and while the sun had blazed overhead, it'd been a dry heat.

"So, someone wished for rain," Timmy scoffed, unperturbed. "No big deal."

"A dry rain? Without thunder? With the temperature this high?" Chloe queried.

"Like I said, _someone wished for rain_ ," he repeated, as though Chloe were being dense.

"Timmy, the only three people with fairies in Dimmsdale are standing right here," she reminded him. "And even if there were others…why would it…"

She stopped, trailing off as the first few drops fell. They weren't clear, but red and viscous. They soaked her hair instantly and coated her tongue. It felt like someone had sucker punched her in the stomach. The color drained from her face and the blood droplets stood out, livid against her white face.

It was raining blood. No one would wish for this. No one _could_ wish for this. Chills besieged her and she found herself slipping backward, falling into that horrible memory. Timmy grabbed her hand and she tried to tether herself to him. She flung herself at him and he wrapped his arms around her. Her teeth were chattering.

Distantly, the past scene playing out before her eyes and the scene around her like a muted background, she heard Tootie ask what was going on.

"Cosmo, Wanda, get us out of here!" Timmy ordered. They reappeared in Timmy's bedroom, but it was too late. She was soaked in someone else's blood. Someone was screaming and her throat was hoarse. She wasn't putting the two together; nothing seemed to match right now. She was soaked to the skin, soaked to the bone it felt like.

"Chloe, Chloe!" Timmy yelled. "Snap out of it!"

Her teeth chattered and she felt him shake her. However, it was hard for him to get a good grip on her, because she'd latched onto him and refused to release him. He was her rock, her salvation. He would fend off the nightmares and keep them at bay.

Just how hard had she fallen for him? Her heart stuttered in her chest and she gritted her teeth. His reassuring presence and warmth secured her. He drew her into the bathroom and closed the door behind them.

"Chloe!" he snapped. "Come back to me!"

She burst into tears and, looking out of his depth, Timmy glanced around for their fairies. Cosmo and Wanda materialized a minute later and they hugged them. Chloe shuddered, but the bathroom's coldness contrasting with their warmth (and fairy dust) was providing a sufficient distraction to anchor her to the present. She sighed.

"I don't know who this person is, but they're on the list," Wanda growled, pulling back from Chloe because her hair had sparked.

"What list?" Cosmo asked, innocently.

"The same list your mother's on," Wanda muttered darkly.

"Oh, is it a dinner party list?" he asked. "Who else are we inviting?"

"Not that kind of list, Cosmo," Timmy groused. "You know, the kind that Big Daddy keeps."

"Wait, the list to sleep with the fishes?" he asked. "That's a pretty smelly list. Why would you want to put Mama on that?"

Wanda facepalmed. "Never mind."

Chloe worked on mastering her breathing. Her therapist had taught her that to ground herself, she needed to focus on her surroundings. Timmy was a help, as were her fairies, but she needed more concrete things. She wished she could talk to her mother, but it felt like whenever she needed her, she wasn't there. Since she'd been a young child, she'd raised herself. Weight crushed upon her chest and she bit her lower lip.

"What the hell kind of clue was raining blood, anyway?" Timmy snapped. "Sparkling blood."

Chloe swallowed bile in her throat. Her stomach threatened to rebel and she winced. Pushing away from him, she hung over the tub's edge in case anything came up. Her whole body quivered and she worked to steady herself again.

"It was raining fairy blood," she breathed, feeling as though she'd never be warm again.

"Not just fairy blood, but diluted fairy blood!" Cosmo added and everyone stared at him; they were all wondering what the distinction was. Wanda opened her mouth, shut it, and then disappeared.

"O-kay…what just happened?" Timmy said, staring where his godmother had been. Chloe's lips twitched, like she wanted to smile but couldn't remember how.

"I dunno…" Cosmo said, but he wore a thoughtful expression, at odds with his usual personality. "Fairy blood is only diluted if you mix it with water or human blood."

"How could you mix it with human blood? Why would you want to do that?" Timmy inquired. Chloe receded into the background and listened, the words coming to her from a great distance.

"Everything about a fairy is magical, especially our blood. I guess you could drink it if you want."

No, that wasn't it. Chloe felt certain they were missing a key principle here, something that would permit them to tie this together. What it was, she couldn't for the life of her figure out. She groaned, flopping back onto the bathroom floor. The cool tiles brought comfort to her flushed cheeks.

"But why would you dilute it if you wanted all the magic?"

Timmy turned to look at her. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged. Timmy's brow furrowed and he propped her up against the toilet again. She slid back down and Timmy shot his godfather a pointed look.

"A little help here?" he snapped.

Cosmo's magic propped her up and left her to ponder why someone would dilute blood. Blood diluted could be, for example, like how royalty considered the bloodline altered. But fairies didn't operate like that. Fairies could only reproduce with other fairies, right? She'd never asked how fairies reproduced or if there were exigent circumstance. It hadn't interested her and considering her queasiness, it still didn't.

"Then what is Wanda thinking?" Timmy grumped.

"I dunno," Cosmo said brightly. "She's the brains in this operation."

Timmy shook his head, muttered something about Cosmo being useless, and opened the door. Wanda, Tootie, and Deborvak had clustered together. In his typical fashion, Timmy barged right into the scene and put his hands on his hips. Chloe forced herself to her feet and staggered after him. She had the feeling he was about to commit a faux pas and she would need to smooth things over. This wasn't exactly unusual, but it was tiresome, especially when she wasn't feeling her best.

At Timmy's entrance, conversation ceased. Tootie shot Timmy a dirty look, though that look amplified when her gaze met Chloe's. There was such hatred etched in her eyes that Chloe paused. They might have declared a truce, but that didn't stop Tootie from loathing her.

"What are you keeping from us?" Timmy demanded, eying his godmother.

Wanda folded her arms across her chest. "This doesn't concern you."

"Timmy, before you rush in, maybe there's a good reason Wanda isn't telling you everything," Chloe begged and then clapped a hand over his mouth. He glowered at her, but didn't stoop to licking her palm, for which she was grateful. Perhaps he felt sorry for her after her latest episode. If she had more energy, she'd be irritated at herself for succumbing again. Figuring that he'd learned his lesson, she dropped her hand. This was a mistake.

"I wish you'd tell," he snarled.

"You really want to know, Timmy?" Tootie snapped. She advanced and Chloe took an inadvertent step back. Power seemed to swirl around the other girl and fairy dust floated in the air. Out of her pocket, Tootie pulled a fairy wand. Deborvak grabbed her shoulder and said something, too low for Timmy and Chloe to catch.

This led to a longer conversation, with Wanda occasionally interjecting. Tootie looked prone to burst, concealing something, but Deborvak had somehow spread a calming aura. Chloe's shoulders relaxed and, although Tootie shot her godfather a dirty look for manipulating her, she desisted. The wand returned to her pocket. Chloe got the sense this was a reprieve rather than an adjournment.

"Why do you have a wand?" Timmy inquired.

"Spare one lying around," Tootie lied. She glared at her crush. "You need to stop pushing her."

"What kind of secret could you possibly keep from me?" Timmy scoffed.

"You'd be surprised," Cosmo said, prompting the others to look at him. He shrugged as if to say, "Yeah, so?"

"You shouldn't manipulate her into telling you something you're not ready to hear," Tootie countered. She ignored Cosmo entirely. Fairy dust still floated in the air, which was peculiar because she was unaware of Cosmo or Wanda shedding. Deborvak, by contrast, had no dust.

"Why don't you let me be the judge of what I'm ready to hear, huh?" he threw back at her.

"This isn't my secret to tell," Wanda said. "It's Tootie's."

Stymied, infuriated that no one would confess, Timmy whirled on each of them in turn. Chloe's stomach knotted. She knew what Timmy wanted, but she couldn't afford to divulge it. For one thing, as Wanda had said, it wasn't her secret. For another, if Tootie intended to keep it quiet, that was her prerogative.

Chloe swayed and Timmy caught her. It dawned on him a few seconds later he should've been tending to her instead of attacking Tootie and he muttered a quick apology to both girls before settling Chloe on his bed. She grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers. Tootie growled. However, the usual ire she reserved for Chloe dissipated. Deborvak pushed more calmness into the room and eventually all the tension bled away.

"Maybe you should see to her while I go talk to someone else," Tootie said. Timmy started to object, but Chloe's hand was tight around his. His heart skipped a beat.

"Also, I'm borrowing Wanda," she said. "I hope you don't mind."

She said this in a tone of voice that indicated if Timmy _did_ mind, it would be too bad. "Use Chloe as your voice of reason."

Wanda snorted and then, in a cloud of fairy dust, they were gone. Timmy stared after them and glanced at Cosmo and Chloe.

"What was that about?" he demanded.

"Beats me," Cosmo said. "Wanna play some video games?"

Normally, Chloe would have abstained, but she needed something to keep her from thinking. It took a while for them to find a three-player game, as most multi-player games were two-player, but it could be done. She settled against Timmy and when he nudged her shoulder, she nudged him back. She felt a little better.

She still kinda wondered what Wanda, Tootie, and Deborvak were up to.

Tootie was steeling herself for another awkward conversation with Juandissimo when someone redirected her back toward her bedroom. Perplexed, she settled on her bed in time to see two fairy dust clouds appear, one on top of the other. Magdalene had vanished before returning to Timmy's bedroom, but she was here now with Nathaniel. Her many times great grandmother was wringing her hands while Nathaniel squeezed her shoulders.

Although Nathaniel had told her to call him that, she felt more comfortable calling him Mr. Schade, as that was how she knew him at school. Besides, he was so much older than her that it seemed improper to use first names. Magdalene, on the other hand, would remain so, especially because Tootie didn't know her last name.

"What's up?" Tootie asked. "We're kind of in a hurry here."

"Tootie, if this person is indeed making it rain diluted blood, half-blood, then the situation is worse than we feared," Magdalene said, cutting to the chase. "It'd be a very good way to strike back at Fairy World, you, Juandissimo, Wanda, and us."

"Wait, what do you have to do with it?" she asked, cocking her head.

"Due to the circumstances and the window…" Magdalene gnawed her lip. "I'm not sure if my firstborn son is half-faerie or fully faerie. And the difference could spell life or death for him, if we can find him."

"But…you conceived him almost seven hundred years ago," Tootie said, awed. "How long do half-faeries _live_?"

"We don't know," Magdalene said, shooting Nathaniel an undecipherable look. "My daughter is definitely half-faerie and I lost track of her too."

Nathaniel gritted his teeth and kept his mouth shut, but Tootie could tell he wanted to speak. Deborvak raised his eyebrows but likewise abstained from commenting. Tootie thought she could figure out where the disturbance lay. Ezekiel, Magdalene's firstborn, was Nathaniel's get. Her daughter, on the other hand, had to be another human.

"How did you lose track of them?" Deborvak asked, nonjudgmental.

"Fairy World had sent its enforcers to track me down," she said, grimacing. "I had to go to ground for a few years. When I resurfaced, I couldn't locate them. I'd needed to conceal their magical signatures from Fairy World, but it backfired and worked against me."

"It's possible that anyone who has a major grievance against Fairy World, particularly in regards to their hypocrisy, might use this opportunity to strike back," Deborvak mused. "But wouldn't they be better suited attacking full-bloods, then? They would be higher in Jorgen's and the Fairy Council's esteem than half-faeries. No offense, Tootie."

"None taken," she said, used to how Fairy World regarded her. However, if she could ingratiate herself there and flee Earth, it would be worth it. Chloe's offer of friendship notwithstanding, there was nothing to tether her here, especially if it looked like Chloe would win Timmy. The only thing she'd wanted and Chloe had stolen him out from under her. It rankled.

Wanda hadn't immediately reappeared with them and when she poofed in, she looked subdued. Her brows were furrowed and she frowned. She waved at Nathaniel and Magdalene and floated above Tootie's bed. A surge of resentment flashed through Tootie, almost too quick to name. She still thought Wanda deserved better, both in terms of godchildren and in husbands. Not that she would've recommended Juandissimo by any stretch, but she deserved better than Cosmo.

"What's up?" Deborvak asked Wanda.

"I checked on Fairy World," she said and twirled a curl on her finger. "All the half-faeries Jorgen keeps locked up have gone missing."

"Good," Tootie said savagely. "They shouldn't be imprisoned."

"No, _not_ good," Wanda corrected. "They've been locked up for a reason, Tootie. Sometimes, magic makes humans unstable. Compound that with imprisonment for hundreds of years and you have a toxic mix."

"Ezekiel and Charlotte aren't unstable," Magdalene huffed. She resented the accusation, because her chest puffed out in indignation.

"The ones Jorgen captured were," Wanda said.

"Unless that's propaganda Fairy World perpetrates to subjugate them," Magdalene shot back.

"If you believe you're crazy for so long…" Wanda countered.

"Then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy…" Deborvak said, frowning. "Tootie, Magdalene, I know you're taking this personally, but it's possible that the half-faeries—who might've been perfectly fine before their capture—are probably not our allies now."

"Chloe would probably try to win them over," Tootie muttered, bitter.

"They wouldn't listen to humans," Wanda said, shaking her head. "Or other faeries, for that matter."

"This asshole—sorry, Wanda—this jerk is murdering faeries and freeing insane ones," Deborvak said. "All to undermine Fairy World and prove a point? Freeing insane faeries isn't exactly going to endear him to people."

"We ought to concentrate less on the 'why' and more on 'what happens next'," Magdalene said. "It's imperative for Nathaniel and me to find my children and any other half-faeries who might be running around."

"Be careful," Deborvak warned. Magdalene and Nathaniel nodded and the two disappeared. Wanda lingered and Deborvak spun her to face him.

"Hey," he said softly. "We were talking before you got here and we think you and Juandissimo could be targets, if Tootie is. Watch yourself, okay?"

"I usually do," she said but smiled back. "Thanks for the concern. I usually worry more about Cosmo than I do about myself."

And someone might be counting on that. Tootie's mood darkened further. She wished Wanda could stay with them. However, Chloe's powers to prevent Timmy from making stupid wishes were probably limited. She didn't trust Timmy alone with Cosmo.

"You don't wanna hang here, do you?" Tootie asked hopefully.

"I should probably return and see if Chloe's all right…" Wanda said, hesitating. She didn't seem thrilled to poof back. Tootie offered her a sympathetic smile. They could hang out; she never got to chill with Wanda.

"Timmy and Cosmo will see to her," Deborvak soothed. "Take a load off. When was the last time you didn't need to worry about someone other than yourself?"

She ought to resent Wanda for being part of the reason Tootie existed, but she couldn't. Wanda was such a sweet, caring fairy that even though Juandissimo had only procreated to gain her attention (and possibly her regard), she couldn't hold it against her. If Tootie had swung that way, she might've had a girl crush on her too.

"She'll be fine," Deborvak said. He was manipulating their auras again, though Wanda didn't notice. Tootie flashed Deborvak a grin and he smirked back.

"As long as Timmy isn't being his usual obtuse, insensitive self, I guess he can handle it…" Wanda said, uncertain but wavering more towards staying. Tootie could tell. She suppressed her grin with difficulty.

"It's not like the world will end in a couple hours," Deborvak cajoled. "Just enough time to catch a movie and relax."

To Tootie, he said, ((I'll sit this one out and see if I can sleuth anything. You'd probably like to talk to Wanda alone, wouldn't you? Considering you don't usually get this opportunity.))

Tootie's heart welled with gratitude and she reached up to hug her godfather. Deborvak patted her back. She knew anything more than altering moods would be perceived by Wanda; per Deborvak, he could influence thoughts, but it always hurt. There was a way to prevent it from happening, but his former mistress had never taught him. And he refused to use Fairy World's magic against Wanda.

"I can stay for a little while, I guess…" Wanda said.

((I'll be back later. Lemme know if anything comes up,)) he sent to Tootie.

((Can do.))

"What do you wanna watch?" Tootie asked. She doubted Wanda got asked that question very often. Timmy (and probably Cosmo) would run roughshod over anything she desired. She wasn't sure how much Wanda's interests aligned with Chloe's and she didn't know if she cared.

"Whatever you want is fine with me," Wanda reassured her. She poofed up a comfy couch in mid-air and Tootie popped in one of her favorite movies. She was a sucker for romance and oddly, action movies. She liked watching the heroines kick ass and take names. Maybe before she left Earth, she'd kick Vicky's ass and pay her back for everything she'd ever subjected her and Timmy to.

"Hey, Wanda," Tootie said once the movie had started and they were settled with snacks and drinks. "What do you think of my living in Fairy World?"

"You don't want to stay here?" she asked and then frowned. "I know your situation isn't exactly ideal."

"There's nothing here for me," she scoffed. "Timmy's infatuated with Chloe, my parents barely notice I exist and if they do, it's only because Vicky's absent. Vicky tortures me. I don't have any friends who aren't faeries or dragons. What is there for me to stay for? It's not like humanity's done me any favors."

"Who told you that you could live in Fairy World?"

"Juandissimo."

Wanda's frown deepened and she said nothing.

"What? I'm not allowed to live in Fairy World?" she pressed. "I could stay with Deborvak and his family. They have a house in Fairy World now."

"It'd be unorthodox…" she admitted. "Is this really what you want? To cut ties with everything you grew up with?"

Tootie folded her arms across her chest. The movie was forgotten and she strove to ignore faint irritation. "Deborvak did it. He escaped a toxic environment. I don't see why I can't."

She noticed Wanda hadn't disputed Timmy's infatuation with Chloe. She ground her teeth and told herself she wouldn't cry. No, it was no big deal that the boy she'd had her eye on forever pined after a stupid blonde. (Not so stupid, but that wasn't the point. Every girl but her, damn it).

Wanda wouldn't look her in the eye. "Tootie, I'm not sure Fairy World will be as accommodating as you think. Half-faerie tolerance is relatively new."

"It has to be better than Earth," she said, disgusted. "I can't stand it here."

"Do you remember what Magdalene told you about public perception of her during her trial?" Wanda inquired quietly. Tootie nodded reluctantly.

"I just don't want you to get your hopes up," she cautioned.

Tootie wondered whether Juandissimo's offer involved taking her in or acknowledging her as his. Or was it a blanket invitation without realizing what it entailed? Had Juandissimo been magnanimous offering it to her? She knew he wasn't usually malicious, but her relationship with him was fraught with difficulty.

"I won't," she promised, but Wanda didn't look like she believed her. Tootie turned back to the film and realized she'd lost the plot's thread.

"Do you think anyone would miss me?" she asked. "If I left, I mean. Timmy won't remember me, not when you guys go. And Vicky would probably be happy that she's an only sibling again. She blames me for what happened to her. No one nonmagical would even notice anything's changed."

Wanda hugged her. "Not everyone thinks so little of you."

"I sometimes wish Timmy wasn't your godson," she burst out when Wanda released her. "Timmy and Chloe don't deserve you. Juandissimo didn't either."

Wanda smiled. "Unfortunately, hon, you're not the one who determines these things. Jorgen and Cupid do."

"Yeah, about that…" Tootie said, flashing back to the chart in Crocker's cave. "Juandissimo's linked to Cupid romantically?"

To her surprise, Wanda laughed. "You'll find that faeries are a lot more progressive than humans when it comes to sexual orientation. We don't have the same problems you do. For example, any transgender faeries can change their sex and a lot of faeries experiment romantically. We like to mix things up. We aren't as judgmental as some humans."

"Do you think it's possible my soulmate is in Fairy World?" she asked.

"I wouldn't go that far," she warned. "Why don't we just sit and enjoy the movie?"

"But there's so much I want to ask you! I can't ask Deborvak because he doesn't know! And I never get you alone!" she protested.

"It's nice to be wanted," she replied and beamed at her.

"Likewise," Tootie said, flashing her a grin in return.

"Ask away. I'll let you know if there's anything I can't answer."

Bouncing on the spot because she was so excited, questions sprang forth from her until she thought she'd overwhelmed the older fairy. But she couldn't help it. She was thrilled. Magdalene was out of the loop, so her answers weren't current. Nathaniel had spent his time in Fairy World until recently, but he only knew whatever was on TV.

Shaking her head at Tootie's exuberance, Wanda answered what she could.

In the meanwhile, he watched and listened. He gathered intel and fitted it into his plans. This should prove lucrative. He wouldn't attack Tootie and Wanda, not now. There would be other opportunities. He didn't consider Cosmo a threat to his plans and Timmy and Chloe were children. Deborvak would be a problem, however. He would need to figure out a way to draw her godfather away and leave her defenseless.

He could figure that out later. For now, he grinned and eavesdropped. Foolish, foolish faeries.


	7. The People Who Carry Their Forest Around

A/N: This is a relatively short chapter, I guess, but I haven't touched this fic in almost a year, so I figured I should post what I have and what I added today. I also intend to upload this to . People have been reviewing begging for updates…

* * *

She was cold, even huddled in the blankets. Timmy kept apologizing all over himself, but Chloe had ceased to hear it. Bloody rain lashed the windows and she couldn't avert her gaze. Cosmo was trying to change the subject, but was ineffective without Wanda. Chloe missed Wanda too, but she wouldn't be selfish enough to call her back. If Wanda wanted to hang out with Tootie, then that was her prerogative.

She could tell Tootie what had prompted her to receive her godparents, but she wasn't sure Tootie cared. She glanced up when Timmy said Tootie's name, albeit riddled with curses and her lips twitched.

"Man, Wanda would wash your mouth out after saying that," Cosmo remarked, sounding impressed. "Maybe I should do something too…"

"You don't have to," Timmy replied. "You're the cool fairy."

"Yay! I'm cool!" Cosmo cheered.

"I bet Tootie takes after Vicky," Timmy snapped and Cosmo stopped cheering. Sobering, he shook his head. Timmy, about to launch himself on another tirade about Tootie, stopped at the grave expression on Cosmo's face. Chloe stared too. It was unusual for Cosmo to look that serious for more than a minute.

"What?" Timmy asked.

"Nothing," Cosmo said quietly. Louder, he said, "So…wanna play some games? Let's play the not-study game!"

"You know something," he accused.

"Nope! Nothing!" Cosmo said and flipped open his head to reveal empty space. Chloe knew it was a visual trick but it gave her the creeps. _Everyone_ had a brain, even if, in Cosmo's case, it was smaller than average. A lot smaller. Timmy frowned, unconvinced.

"I bet if I asked Wanda, she'd tell me."

"No, she wouldn't," Cosmo retorted. That, at least, seemed to be the truth. Timmy glowered.

"I wish you'd tell!"

"I can't!" Cosmo protested and it grew dead silent in the room. Timmy had forgotten Chloe was there. Intent on finding out the answer, he leaned forward, nabbing his godfather out of the air. Chloe slid to the side to avoid being crushed.

"Yes, you can!" he insisted. "Is it suddenly against Da Rules now?"

"Kinda."

"How can something be 'kinda' against Da Rules?" he objected. Chloe slid out of bed and, rubbing her arms, crept toward the door. Timmy was too absorbed in his argument to notice. He'd never been particularly observant. It was amazing that no one had stolen Cosmo and Wanda from him before, considering how on the ball he wasn't.

And she said this knowing that she cared for him. It was just a fact. Timmy wasn't the brightest kid she'd ever met.

Once she reached the stairs, she headed down and toward Tootie's house. Tootie could refuse to see her; chances were she'd like to eviscerate her. Maybe somehow Chloe deserved it. When people hated her, they _loathed_ and appalled her. There were no half measures.

She reached the front door, pulled it open, and stepped outside. Deborvak was floating there and holding up an umbrella.

"Man, this rain is so annoying," he said, as though it were ordinary. "And what are you doing out here on your own, young lady?"

"I wanted to talk to Tootie."

"She doesn't want to talk to you," he said and his expression softened. Despite Tootie's hatred for her, Deborvak had always been sympathetic. She would like to have said that all faeries were good, kind-hearted individuals, but meeting anti-faeries and whomever was responsible for this had proven her wrong. Deborvak shifted into a human child form and, holding the umbrella, walked her in the direction away from Tootie's house. She didn't pivot and race away. Instead she let him call the shots.

"Aren't you supposed to be guarding them?"

"The person will lay low for a while," he replied, shaking his head. "I _am_ keeping an eye on them; I have a magical alarm set up that if they trip, I can shoot back to them."

"You're not like the other faeries," she remarked.

"What tipped you off? The dragon-like wings or the tail?" he teased. He had a way of making her feel at ease and, briefly, she envied Tootie. It wasn't that she wanted Deborvak instead of Cosmo and Wanda. It was just that Tootie must've been able to relax around her godfather. Sometimes, Chloe found it difficult, if not impossible to relax.

"You're not from Fairy World, are you?" she said and then flushed. "Forgive my personal questions. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"It's fine," he said, shrugging. "I'm from a different universe, from a planet known as Tyrocka. I've been living here for a few years now. I had to get away…my foster mother was literally evil. I mean, no holds barred, kill anyone who gets in your way, stereotypically villainous evil."

Chloe mulled that over. There was something he wasn't telling her, like he had said all of that to forestall any questions. To boot, he had said it rather fast, almost as if it were rehearsed. Yet she sensed no nervousness from him, just that weird calming aura.

"Did she hurt you?"

"Yes," he said in a way that ought to have closed the subject. His gaze wouldn't meet hers and they were, she saw after a moment, headed for the park again. She dug her heels in and stopped. After a moment, he stopped too and changed direction. Perhaps he hadn't even been thinking about it.

"I'm sorry for my goddaughter's behavior. I'm sure she would understand if you told her what happened."

She shook her head. A large lump had formed in her throat and she swallowed against it. Hugging herself, still cold, she blinked when Deborvak conjured up a warm fleece jacket. His expression was sad and tugged at her heart.

"I lost my biological mother a few years back. Technically, I'm an orphan, but I never considered my father much of a father. My mother, she was killed too. I know where you're coming from. I'm not trying to stir up old memories. But if you want to talk about it, ever…you can just call me."

She shook her head again and managed, "I have Cosmo and Wanda."

"Oh, I know," he said. "And I'm sure they have a lot of experience with grief. After all, Cosmo causes Wanda grief all the time."

She laughed briefly and he smiled.

"I have a daughter with blonde hair too. If it makes you feel any better, she and Tootie don't always get along either."

"Does she hate me so much because of Timmy?" Chloe burst out. "I just want to be friends."

"Up until recently, her existence revolved around Timmy. He saved her from a gruesome fate when she was young and she'd idolized him since. It doesn't help that he's one of the few kids who dares to stand up to Vicky on a regular basis. Every time he enters a room, she lights up.

"She's tried wishing it away, but I'm sure you know the sanction against wishing away love."

Chloe nodded. It wasn't one she'd invoked very often, but she had run up against it once before.

"She'd be livid if she knew we were talking," he said. "She's jealous of you because of Timmy and because of Cosmo and Wanda. She adores Wanda. Wanda's the only one in Fairy World who looked out for her before I came along."

Chloe gnawed her lower lip.

"Don't do that," he chastised gently. "With that chip in your tooth, you're liable to do real damage."

"I feel bad for her, but…I don't want to give up Timmy and Cosmo and Wanda. I'd understand if they wanted to go with her, because I love them and I want them to be happy no matter what. And I know I'm being selfish by keeping them to myself."

"You're a good kid," he said and shook his head. "Things don't always work out like we plan, but sometimes, it's because we can't see the big picture yet. Look, it's stopped raining."

Sure enough, the sky was blue and the sun shone. The sidewalks were dry and there was no trace that it had been raining. If she hadn't known better, she might have thought it all in her imagination.

"Are you going back to Tootie now?"

He shook his head. "I'll wait until she wants me back. I don't want to intrude on her time with Wanda. Wanda gets too little time off as it is."

Chloe glanced back toward Timmy's house. Timmy hadn't wished her back, but then again, he might not have noticed her absence yet. She frowned. Since Deborvak was Tootie's fairy, she couldn't wish for him to return her. However, he seemed to have understood her intentions because he waved his wand and she was gone, back to Timmy arguing with Cosmo. It was like she'd never left.

Then she glanced at the clock. No time had passed. Maybe…maybe she hadn't left. Or maybe Deborvak had arrested time to give her a breather. Weird. She didn't question it, though. His methods were his own. Now, it was time to interrupt the argument before Timmy ruined Tootie's and Wanda's night.

* * *

Two days passed before anything else happened. It hadn't been sufficient to have anyone lower their guard, including Cosmo and Timmy. Wanda and Deborvak were vigilant, wary of anyone attacking their godchildren. Deborvak established magical traps all over Dimmsdale for a slip-up and Tootie attempted to sleuth out all fairy godchildren in the area. There weren't as many as she thought, but then again, kids had a way of blabbing about their faeries and losing them.

Tootie wasn't sure what she was expecting. Another dead faerie, maybe? That was so crude. There weren't a lot of faeries around here to fall prey to their suspect, either, whoever he was. She wasn't naïve enough to think that their perpetrator was finished.

What happened next, however, didn't happen on Earth at all. It happened right beneath Jorgen's nose.

* * *

He didn't blame his mother for what had happened. It wasn't her fault she'd had to go to ground and conceal herself, lest she end up in prison or worse. He also didn't blame his father, who might have gone insane with Fairy World's restrictions upon him. No, he blamed the corrupt system that had necessitated it. He blamed the Fairy Council, the judge, the jury of her so-called peers, and her family for repudiating her. Technically, they were his family too, but he didn't consider them that. They had, after all, disowned her. They wouldn't have wanted him either.

He didn't know where his half-sister had gone. In fact, he hadn't known she was his half-sister until very recently. When he'd gone to break out the faeries from the high-security containment, she hadn't been among them. Of course, he didn't know how long faeries lived, but this struck him as suspicious. Half-breeds should at least have survived several hundred years, if not more. Someone was deliberately keeping her apart and he would cut a swath of destruction to get to her.

After all these years, he wasn't quite sane. Perhaps he'd never been sane, to begin with, and had kept it well under wraps for so long.

At present, he rotated a man in stasis that he had brought back from the past and twirled his wand about between his fingers. His stepfather, Henry, stared at him with wide eyes and terror etched in his features. He couldn't help but wonder whether this was the same terror Henry had inflicted on his wife every night when he stumbled home drunk and demanded she tend to his "needs".

Ezekiel contemplated the man for a few minutes more before shunting him off to the side. He had work to do and people to handle before he could get to the real prizes.

Flicking his wand, he threw darts at a bulletin board before him. He was in a darkened room on Earth that used to serve as a teacher's lounge before Dimmsdale had abandoned the school. It was from olden times, back when Denzel Crocker's ancestor had lived here. It was amazing the bulletin board had survived this long.

The darts landed straight on Wanda's and Juandissimo's faces. Ezekiel smiled. Tick, tock, little faeries. Time to get to work.


End file.
